Career and Education Opportunities for Credit Investigators in Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport, Connecticut provides a wide variety of opportunities, both career and educational, for credit investigators. There are currently 480 working credit investigators in Connecticut; this should shrink by 13% to about 420 working credit investigators in the state by 2016. This is not quite as good as the national trend for credit investigators, which sees this job pool growing by about 2.8% over the next eight years. In general, credit investigators investigate history and credit standing of individuals or business establishments applying for credit.

A person working as a credit investigator can expect to earn about $18 hourly or $38,370 per year on average in Connecticut and about $14 per hour or $30,390 annually on average in the U.S. as a whole. Incomes for credit investigators are better than in the overall category of Credit Authorization in Connecticut, and better than the overall Credit Authorization category nationally.

There are seventy-five schools of higher education in the Bridgeport area, including three within twenty-five miles of Bridgeport where you can get a degree to start your career as a credit investigator. Credit investigators usually hold a high school diploma or GED, so it will take only a short time to learn to be a credit investigator if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Credit Investigator

In general, credit investigators investigate history and credit standing of individuals or business establishments applying for credit. They also telephone or write to credit departments of business and service establishments to obtain information about applicant's credit standing.

Every day, credit investigators are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. It is also important that they listen to and understand others in meetings.

It is important for credit investigators to ready reports of findings and recommendations, using typewriters or computers. They are often called upon to obtain data related to potential creditors from banks and other credit services, and furnish reciprocal data if requested. They also interview credit applicants by telephone or in person so as to obtain personal and financial data needed to finish credit report. Somewhat less frequently, credit investigators are also expected to examine city directories and public archives in order to confirm residence property ownership or unpaid taxes of applicants.

Credit investigators sometimes are asked to contact former employers and other acquaintances to confirm applicants' references and social behavior. They also have to be able to relay credit report data to subscribers by mail or by telephone And finally, they sometimes have to relay credit report data to subscribers by mail or by telephone.

Like many other jobs, credit investigators must have strong self control in the face of challenging situations and be thorough and dependable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Bridgeport include:

Accounts Receivable Specialist. Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visit to solicit payment. Duties include receiving payment and posting amount to customer's account; preparing statements to credit department if customer fails to respond; initiating repossession proceedings or service disconnection; keeping records of collection and status of accounts.

Eligibility and Occupancy Interviewer. Determine eligibility of persons applying to receive assistance from government programs and agency resources, such as welfare, unemployment benefits, and public housing.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Credit Investigator Training

Naugatuck Valley Community College - Waterbury, CT

Naugatuck Valley Community College, 750 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, CT 06708-3089. Naugatuck Valley Community College is a medium sized college located in Waterbury, Connecticut. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 5,880 students. Naugatuck Valley Community College has a less than one year and an associate's degree program in Banking and Financial Support Services which graduated zero and seven students respectively in 2008.

Norwalk Community College - Norwalk, CT

Norwalk Community College, 188 Richards Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854. Norwalk Community College is a medium sized college located in Norwalk, Connecticut. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 6,266 students. Norwalk Community College has an associate's degree program in Banking and Financial Support Services.

Housatonic Community College - Bridgeport, CT

Housatonic Community College, 900 Lafayette Blvd, Bridgeport, CT 06604-4704. Housatonic Community College is a medium sized college located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 5,081 students. Housatonic Community College has an associate's degree program in Banking and Financial Support Services.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport, Connecticut photo by Xtremeyanksfan22

Bridgeport is located in Fairfield County, Connecticut. It has a population of over 136,405, which has shrunk by 2.2% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Bridgeport, 151, is far greater than the national average. New single-family homes in Bridgeport are valued at $110,900 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, twenty-six new homes were built in Bridgeport, down from forty-one the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Bridgeport are health care, educational services, and finance and insurance. For men, it is construction, administrative and support and waste management services, and accommodation and food services. The average commute to work is about 25 minutes. More than 12.2% of Bridgeport residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 4.6%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Bridgeport is 12.1%, which is greater than Connecticut's average of 8.3%.

The percentage of Bridgeport residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 70.1%, is more than both the national and state average. Calvary Episcopal Church, Golden Hill United Methodist Church and Good Shepherd Christian Church are among the churches located in Bridgeport. The most common religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ.

Bridgeport is home to the North Branch Bridgeport Public Library and the Challenger Learning Center as well as Went Field and Johnson Oak Park. Shopping centers in the area include Lafayette Shopping Plaza Shopping Center, Baldwin Plaza Shopping Center and Bayview Shopping Center.